Professional mastering engineers can make a
decent audio mix sound great and a good mix
sound completely amazing. There are many different
things that CD mastering engineers can do. They
will work with the artist to decide what order
the songs appear on the CD, and also equalize
the volume of the different instruments in each
song and across the entire CD.
They can also help to add more definition and
clarity to the instruments in a song. Then,
they will adjust the introductions and ends of
the songs, choosing the length of time between
the songs and adding crossfades or other nice
effects if they need to.
The order in which the songs on a CD appear
can greatly affect the way the CD progresses
when it's played. If similar sounding songs
are placed side by side on a CD, it can lead
listeners into thinking the artist has a very
limited range. It's ultimately up to the
CD mastering engineer to work with the recording
artist and choose the order of songs on the CD.
It's very important that the instruments in a
song and the songs on the CD be at an appropriate
volume level. Within a song, the different
elements must be mixed appropriately in order
for the song to sound like it should.
The CD engineer can also give clarity and
definition to the different instruments in a
song. The engineer will also have the task of
assuring that the volume levels across all
of the songs are the same, in order to help
the CD sound more cohesive while still leaving
room for dynamics.
The CD mastering engineer will also determine
how much time there should be between the songs
on the CD. They will also fade and crossfasde
the intros and endings of the songs to make
them have a better flow.
For an interesting career, CD mastering engineers
is a great choice. They make excellent money,
get to work with top artists, and enjoy what
they do. If you like music, this career may be
what you've always wanted. For those who are
already in the profession - it's a job unlike
any other out there in the world.
